Ribbon-actuating mechanism for type-writers.



G. J. GRTFFITHS & c. H. RODERICK. RIBBON AGTUATING MECHANISM FOR TYPE WRITERS.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 19, 1914.

Patented Sept. 8, 1914,

IIN

6 n a 2 m; fi n fi w. Jbw 1% am 1 M jj UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE J. GRIFFITHS AND CHARLES H. RODERICK, OF WOODSTOCK. ILLINOIS, ASSIGN- ORS TO THE OLIVER TYPEJVRITER COMPANY. OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPO- RATION OF ILLINOIS.

RIBBON-ACTUATING MECHANISM FOR TYPE-WRITERS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 8, 1914.

T0 (1 zc/zom it may con ern Be it known that we. Gannon .I. Gnirrrrns 3 ot I 1g. 3; and Fig. 5 is a sectional view of and CnAuLns H. RODERICK, citizens of the United States. and residents of \Yoodstoclt. in the county of McIIenry and State of Illinois, have jointly invented certain new and useful Improvements in Ribhon.\ctuating Mechanism for 'IypeJVriters; and we do hereby declare that the following; is a full. clear. and exact decription thercot'. reference being had to the accompanying drawings. and to the letters of reference marked thereon. which form a part of this specificationv This invention relates to ribbon actuating: mechanisn't for typewriting machines in tended more particularly for application to 5 machines of the kind known as the ()liver typewriter. such as' is shown and described in the patent granted to Thomas ()liver. \o.

vational view of the parts shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a sectional View taken on line 4-4 3 a detail of construction.

Referring to the drawings. illustrating in detail. a ribhon-aetuating mechanism eonstrncted in accordance with the present invention. the same is shown in con'ibination with and is adapted for rotating two vertical or upright ribbon-spool shafts 10, 10, arranged at each side of the machine, and

1 through the medium of which the ribbon- 1 spools (not shown) .,1 E 1 snaits are turned or rotated to efiect the 595L863. dated March 1st, 1808. and of that 1 class in which the direction of movement of the ribbon lnay be reversed by winding), the ribbon first upon one and then upon the other of the ribbon spools arranged at oppov ite sides of the machine.

The object of the invention is to in'iprove i oscillated or swung horizontally about a and simplify the construction ofvthe type of ribbon actuating mechanism. above re ferred to. in several particulars as will here inatter appear.

Although the ribbon actuating: mechanism herein referred to is particularly applicable to ()liver typewriting machine it is to be understood that said mechanism i applicahlc to ma hines (littering in construction from such ()liver machines.

The invention consists in the matters hereinafter described and more particularly pointed rut in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings Figure l is a bottom plan view of a ribbon-actuating mechanism constructed in accordance with the invention; the parts of said mechanism lrcing shown n midway or neutral position. and in which position of said parts. the rib-- bon is not wound upon either of the ribbon \PUOIS in the o 'ieration of the machine; Fig. :2 is a like plan view of the parts shown in Fig. 1; said parts being hown connected with one of the ribbon spool shafts. whereby the latter turned to effect the movement of the ribbon in one direction upon the operation of the machine; Fig. 3 is a front eleconnected with said winding and unwinding of the ribbon first. upon one and then. upon the other of said spuois in the opt-ration of the typewriter. (in the lower ends of said ribbon-spool t shafts 1O. 10 are aflixed gear pinions 11, 11. Said ribbtm-spool shafts 10, 10 are rotated or turned through the medium of a horizontal. tran versel arranged worm-shaft 12. upon the opposite ends of which are mounted and rigidly secured worm-gears H.1 3: one provided with right-hand wormteoth and the other with left-hand wormteeth. The worm-shaft 12 is adapted to be 1 vertical axis: so as to etiect the engagement of fil'rd; one and then the other of said wormgears l3. 13 with the gear-pinions ll. 11. or to simultaneously disconnect both of said \\'oringcars from said gcarpinions. For this purpose. said 'ornisliaft 12 i mounted in an oscillating bearing-member l4. prefcl-ably having the form of a horizontally arand confined l'ietween one of the arms 15 and a stop-flange 17 attached to said bean inganember l4. Said collar 16 is secured to said \v'orimshaft 12 by means of a set screw 16*. Said bearing-member 14 is piv otally connected with a fixed, horizontal braclzetanemher 18 by means of a vertically disposed pivot bolt 19. As shown in Fig. 4. said bracket-member 18 has adjustable conscribed and shown a re located.

neetion with a tinnsverrse frame-menihe: 2th on the maehine base. h means of a l oh 2i inserted through said. twine-me u it Hit through an elrmgated slot A l ln'al-ltermember 18.

hen one worurgear 1 i mug-aged with the associated gQtU1)i}1lUi'l 11 the other wornrgear is dibengagetl from i a e tinted gear-pinion; he wornr-shaft .ll rocked horizontally through the swinging of the hearinguntuniier ll to etieet this re sult. (See Fig. \Vhen the W rm-shaft 12 is arrested and held in an intermediate position both the nornvgean 23, 1 are (lit engaged from the gear pinions ll, ll. and

the ribbon-symol shafts 10 10 are free to he l 1 rotated independently of the norm-shit 12. (See Flg. 1.)

The worm-shaft a pawl and ratchet m not from the universal liar oi the a portion of the nmvere: l ha r heme lmititlktl by 23 in the drawings (Figs. 3 and i 3. shown. the ratt'tie't meehanisi 1 is ratchet Wheel Qt rigidly secured to worm-shaft. 12 between the dependi g l5, 15 and said ratehet Wheel is n '1 ,"i h the action of tn oppositely fit ing ti'lli'l" 25, 26 arranged on opposite nine: f aid ratchet Wheel and pivoted to a hrael et-mem her 27 attaehed to said univei al bar, The uniiersal bar 23 has connection with the letter smeing mechanism and has; riwin and fail ing movement imparted to it upon the operation of the levy-levers and spare bar of the machine as is usua in vpmvriting machines The pawl; if]. 2% are held engaged with the ratrhet Wheel 2-1 by means; of a spring 24 connected with the pawl-s in a manner to draw the free ends the got together. (See Fig. 4). t

For the purpose of effecting the row-ling of the hearing-member H, horiznnta ly in alternately ednneot and diseonneet t.

worm-gears l3, l3 and the gear pinions 11,

and forward of the hearingmemher 14;, is I m wm-"ni an endwise moraine operating or shift-rod 28, the opposite ends of whirl: extend twang,

rotatcci hr in am at i v through and slide in the side walls 25'. 30 1 of the machine base: the ends of said, rod l 28 extending beyond said side walls. so t lat they may be pressed upon hr the hand of the f perator for th nn-pow of push ng the rod endwise. ln an lliver trpewriting: maehine, Raid Willlrl 2ft 3O r-onstitntt: the side walls of the machine lzilst and together with the top, front and rear Walls form a hollow machine base in Whirh the parts herein de- Adjnstably connerted with and extending from the een-- tral part of the bearing-memlwr 11 toward the rod 28 is a flat horizontal plate 3t, prw

mid

he lingers;

i and prio 1 m mber ha; three tr nrthe lnngr t Wit. a e an interanedh m? ili and i w} l We the lmw-r mrt ISM being nenreet 1nd of he 111:1, the higher part 3 :r st the "tlliti" of the length of the the intumedi te i 4C hmng nud n the form r d tuning a huh riion it at its inner enth through which the clamp s ren its) is inwwi th lt th low r part 518 having the, form we at the outer ml of the coll-Lug the it part "i heiug rylint'lrim and WI 13:11"; 1'? iv! .Q the ffll'lli of z: annular ri hetrJi-vn llw ihifiifilt-fiiflt? part i use the huh l1. f'iid hizzher n rt 2&9 is nude ni -lino} or r i in hoth or ilR vqidee.

in the Form oi a ll: ul le vonw. for :1 pm- 'i liil, in the elwlv i e 5 in (NW dire;

32$ tmwius tzgainxt r from t hereinafter 0:

i h rwl e lingers :11) the adjart-nt eani-nwn m2 l i o 1 k u he l wer to th hig hrr part of the" 0am memher. throne the adiaeent end f the lwmi 'if-Ehllllhai' ll tron: the rod thereli'x I l l 'uiing in nfiwr l! on M rr r t li-l ili'emion. The ther finger not nic in the wine :2 nn r upon the other mm m niln-r in th mnlwise movement or' th r d in the opposite direetion.

The plate in provided with an integral lorated hetneen and in :13). 35%; Sfilll t 1 outward v stog'rproieurion threamv p ane with (he ling rs and laterally facing stopshoulders 43, 43 located in the aths or" movement of the hubs 41, 41. Said stop-shoulders -13. -13 are adapted to contact with the inner end of the hubs 41. 41 in the endwise n'n'wement of the actuating or shift rod :28 and art to limit the endwise movement of said rod in both directions, when the higher part or rih 39 0f the one cam-member is in contact with the end of its assot-iated finger, (Fig. 2). The inner ends of the hubs 41, -11 f rm in effect stop-shoulders on the rod, while the stop-shoulders 43, '13 on the plate 31 are in effect stop-shoulders on the hearing-men] ber 14.

\Vhen the several parts of the mechanism are in the position shown in Fig. 1, the ends of the fingers I32, 33 bear against the intermediate parts 40, 4 0 of hoth canrmembers 34, 3 1: and the stop-shoulders 13. 43 of the bearingn1en1ber 1-1 are out (it contact with said stop-shoulders. In this :position of the parts, hoth gears 151, 13 on the actuatingshaft 12 are disconnected from the gears 11.. 11 on the Iil1l2011-5[ 0(1l shafts 1 10, and i said latter shafts may be rotated iodepeml r'ntly ol' the actuating-shaft 12. This posi tion of the parts may he termed midway or neutral positions, as the rihhon is not wound upon either ot the spools in the operation of the typewriter. To swing the actuatingshaft 12 horizontally from its position shown in Fifi. 1 to that shown in Fig. :2. so as to efl'crt the engagement of the gear 13 at the right of said shaft 12 with the corresponding1 located gear on the ribbon-spool shaft at the right oi the machine the shift rod :28 is moved rndwise toward the left by pushing inwardly on the rig'hbhand end of the rod. which extends heyond the side wall 30. In this movement of the rod 2 both (am-members 34. 34 are moved toward the wall 213 at the left side of the ma hine and finger 3Q nearest said wall '2 passes from the intermediate part 4-0 of the a ociated ram-member 34 over the higher part or ri 39 of same cam-memher and is stopped when past the annular edge of said rib and bean ing against the inner inclined surface of the rib by the stop-shoulder on the rod formed by the inner end of the hub '11 on the other cam-member comirn; into contact with tho adjacent stop-shoulder 121 on the bearingmembor 14. In the passing of sa d finger 32 over the said rib or higher part 3111 of said associated cannmemher the adjacent end of the bearingmen'1her 14 is moved away from the rod and the bearing-member 1i swung in. a direction to effect the engagement, of the said right-hand gear 13 with the said associated .Qfoar 11. (Fig. 2). The opposite end of the bearing-mmuhcr 1 1 is at thc same time moved to ard the rod and the other finger 33 passes from the intermediate part 40 of the associated cam-member 34 to the with the rihhon-spool shaft 10 located at the right of the machine. a above described.

said rihhon spool shaft will he turned or rotated upon the rotation of the shaft 12 and the rihhon wound upon the spool connected with said ribbonspool shaftlt) and unwound from the spool connected with the oppositely located ri'ihon wl titll shaft. which is diseon' net-ted from said shaft 12. A reversal of the dirertion of inoic nent of the rod :23 so as to cause the other fingrr to pass from the lower puit over the higher part of the ussoointed canrmemhr-r will eil'eet the oscillation or swinging oi the hearingrmemlrer ll in thr opposite direction and cause the engagement of" the gear at the left end of the sl aft 12 with the gear on the correspondingly lomtcd rillhon-spool shaft 10. and as a esult client a reversal oi movement of thr rihhon.

in order to hold the ramm nnbcrs 51. 3-1 at all times viehl ngzlv in contact with the ends of the fingers f 3 Fo as to lock the rod in iron: accidental endwisc movement and prevent shifting of the parts through the i:u'rin; of the typewriter while in use the rod 13* made of sprint mrtal and is rapahle oi' ilrxing latcrall) toward and from the fingers as snid lingers pass over the higher parts or ribs 39 of said ran'rmcmbers. \i'hrn the rod of one finger hears against the inner inclined surface of the associated rih and slightl l:o vond the annular edge of said l'li). as shown in Fig. 13. that surface of the caurmcmhcr is held yieldinglv in coir tart with the cud of said finger lrv reason of ii!" rod lltlllg resilient and th annular edge of tho rih proje ting inwardly beyond the nod ot' said lin r 'r forms in effect a shoulder aga nst which tho linger bears and the rod is lorhcd from :nt-id-ntal cndwisc mowment in a lllltt if il to ctl'rrt the passing: of the linger (Htl' the annular edgiof said rih. hilt-n i o. the forward edge of the ovlindrir (H intrrnmliatc part it) of the other ramnioinhor forms in viii-rt a shoulder against n hirh thr nd oi the other finger hears when mid finger is in contact with the 111(l1110tl ,wH' nt-c o." tlulower part 238 of said other ranrmwnhrr and the rod is further lorkcd from hring' acridontall v moved endwise in tho diri-rtion rt-l'crrcd to. The rontartint oi our nilitrlill lltlvh 13 on the lwaringmember lit ith the a sociated atop-shoulder on the rod prov-cuts rndwise movement of the rod in the opposite direction. The rod being resilient. the intermediate portions 10 of the canrnuinihersi 34, 34 when in engagement 1 511; and the ermednde portions n2" parts or r "9, the rod whnlal cnduis: moiei'nent m x linger to pass 0301' therefore, that the Finn e rod from end of the Llnce posh iiIi-ilv number may be he shilling oi the iaris from s positions through the ,yc-irilcr nhilo in use. is

m, ion int iod that the details of lirrcin iilos rated do ilw 2 and furiously m dified ithout r i :he spirit and s op of our 1*. lilzli lh l'iliifl lilwli is i the details of construction illll --lio :i'1. mn-ept as pointed "Il'l, in flu a m-ended iainn-t \i'e l min: a ma in ention:

l. in a i \'1;' *'i\1ltin, machine, a ribbon- :oivol actuating! lil tlldlh enihracing two gear pinion rvtati artnating sha'ft mounted for oscil iory motion about an ax s nannies-r to i s of rotation, and provided n'i gears adapted for alternate iml b" engagement with and disengagement from an eodwise iiioia le op- ,twi to slide UYEil ISO in the air-l mean for i,i';nmi'iittiiig said g ar-pinii cralin rod in:

l!l;l(llill lran nitt rn ii in said rail to the ariim to r the vial use movement of the rod, comprislingers in contact with the sanw, members and :1 :ciated lingers being located at opposiie sidr pof the axis of oscillation of the fl 'iilui'llifl r-hafi,

'2. in :1 t 'pvwriiing machine, a ribbon spi al a inating mcchanisn'i embracing two gear pinioi a rotative actuating shaft mounted for oscillatory niotin a out an axi tran verse lo is 3", of rotation, and mnidud with gs: adapted for alternate i-ngagcnnmt will wi l disengagem nt from said n ll'" )liil(li-. m endnisc movable operating rod ni unn i to siide vndwise in the ilnnhin frame and pzojvrting at its ends lll Y 'li l th oppo ite "!ii l surfaces of said fra .ind in on for transmitting motion fr an s13? rod to the urinating shaft. to give nn-wmmt lo {he latter in the end- -nwnl l min mising two inclined surface of r 9,4! of the associated on of in shaft, e mo ement to the latter in ing tw ram-incinbhr, and two movable: iid Cammechanism for the ribbonspool shafts, comprising two gear-[unions through which Said SpUUl-SlulfllS are given rotary movement, a. -,otative actuating shaft, :1 bearing member for said shaft, mounted to oscillate on an axis transverse to the axis of rotation of said actuating shaft, said shaft being rovided with gears adapted to be moved into and out of engagement with the said gearpinions by the oscillatory movement of the ;.-haft, an endwise movable rod provided 1 \iith two cams limited at' opposite sides of the axis of oscillation of the bearing-memher and fingers on the bearing member acting on said (rain-members, whereby the endivise movement of said rod will effect oscillatory movement of said bearing member 1 and actuating shaft. l. in a iypewriting machine, actuating mechanism for the ribbon-spool. shafts, comprising two gear pinions through which said spool-shafts are given rotary movement, a rotative actuating shaft, a bearing member for said shaft, mounted to oscillate r ii an axis transverse to the axis of rotation of said actuating shaft, said shaft being j provided with gears adapted to be moved l into and out of engagement with the said gvar'pinions by the oscillatory movement of the shaft, an endwise movable actuating rod 1 mounted to slide endwise in the machine frame and projecting at its ends beyond the rpposite outer faces of said frame, and means for transmitting motion from said rod to the bearing-member to give oscillal tory movement to the latter in the endwise i movement of the rod, comprising a cam- I member on the rod and a finger on the bearl ingmember adapted for contact with said ram member.

5 In a typewriting machine, actuating mechanism for the I'lbbOIl-SpOOl shafts, comprising two gear-pi'nions through which said spool-shafts are given rotary movement, a r tative actuating shaft mounted for oscillatvry movement about an axis transverse to its axis of oscillation and provided with gears adapted to be moved into and out of engagement with said ear-pinions by the oscillatory movement 0 the shaft, an endwise movable rod provided with two cams located at opposite sides of the axis of oscillath n of the bearing-member, fingers on the bearing inember acting on said cam-memhers, said rod being resilient and adapted for lateral flexure, to maintain said cams in contact with said fingers.

to the axis of rotation of the (-L in a typewixiting machine, actuating the bearing-member provided with a stopplate having stop-shoulders for contact with the stop-shoulders on the -rod. l

7. In, a t pewritin machine, actuating mechanism or the rib on-spool shafts comprising gear-pinions, anactuating shaft provided with gears adapted to be moved'into and out of engagement with said gear-pinions, a bearing-member for said shaft, having oscillatory movement about an axis transverse to the axis of rotation of the shaft, and means for oscillating said bearing-member embracing an endwise movable actuating rod provided with two cam-mem bers and fingers on the bearing-member, in contact with and adapted to be acted on by said cam-members in the endwise movement of said rod, each of said cam-members hav- :5

ing a cam projection over which its co-acting finger passes in the endwise movement of the rod, and the rod being resilient to permit lateral fiexure thereof and effect the locking of the rod from endwise movement :0

through the engagement of, said finger with said cam projection. I

In testimony, that we claim the foregoing as our invention we aflix our signatures in the presence of two witnesses, this 17th day $5 of January A. D. 1914.

GEORGE J. GRIFFITHS." CHARLES H. RODERICK.

\Vitnesses EUGENE C. WANN, C. L. PEOPLES. 

